Dame Barbara Windsor’s funeral has taken place, with a small number of family and friends in attendance due to coronavirus restrictions.
Flowers on her coffin spelt out “Babs”, “The Dame” and “Saucy”, and a topless photo from one of her Carry On movies was included in the order of service.
A mock pub sign, with a portrait of Dame Barbara in the style of Queen Victoria and the name “The Queen Peggy” was also carried into the venue.
A painted pub sign is carried into the venue for ‘The Queen Peggy’
Flowers spell out ‘Saucy’ and ‘The Dame’ in honour of the star
The film and TV actress died on 10 December aged 83 in a London care home, with her husband of 20 years, Scott Mitchell, by her side.
She had been suffering from dementia, and publicly revealed her diagnosis back in 2018.
Celebrity mourners at Golders Green Crematorium in London included Dame Barbara’s on-screen son in EastEnders, Ross Kemp, comedians David Walliams and Matt Lucas and panto star Christopher Biggins.
With the country currently in lockdown, just 30 people were able to attend the service due to COVID-19 regulations.
Mr Mitchell told the PA news agency: “As COVID has denied so many of Barbara’s family, friends and fans a chance to say farewell properly, I wanted to share the order of service to let people be a small part of it.
“My heart goes out to every family who have experienced the same restrictions at their loved ones funerals.”
He added: “I would again like to thank my family, friends, the media and the public for their incredible support and well wishes since Barbara’s passing.”
Ross Kemp played Windsor’s screen son Grant Mitchell in EastEnders
The service – which began with Frank Sinatra’s On The Sunny Side Of The Street – featured a tribute from Kemp and actress Anna Karen, who played Dame Barbara’s sister Aunt Sal in EastEnders.
Mourners sang the hymns Jerusalem and The Lord Is My Shepherd, and Dame Barbara’s own recording of Sparrows Can’t Sing from her 1963 film of the same name was played as the recessional music.
Matt Lucas (L) and David Walliams (R) pay their last respects
The order of service featured a collection of photos of the actress throughout her career and personal life, including on the set of EastEnders, with the Queen and on her Carry On films, as well as with her husband.
It finished with the famous topless photo of Dame Barbara from the film Carry On Camping, accompanied by her quote: “That picture will follow me to the end”.
Christopher Biggins leaves the crematorium
A condolence page for Alzheimer’s Research UK set up on Just Giving in her memory has so far raised over £150,000, and the charity says it has seen a spike in donations since the star’s death.
There has been widespread praise of Dame Barbara’s work in raising awareness of Alzheimer’s – a progressive disease which causes memory loss and is the most common type of dementia in the UK.